Havre de Grace works in company with Joyful Victory

by Brisnet.com

Twelve days in advance of her 2012 debut in the $150,000 New Orleans Ladies

on March 17, reigning Horse of the Year Havre de Grace worked six furlongs in

company with stablemate Joyful Victory in 1:11 2/5, breezing, at Fair Grounds on

Monday morning.

Regular exercise rider Jen Brasser was aboard Havre de Grace, while Robby

Albarado was astride Joyful Victory, who is pointing to the Grade 3 Azeri at

Oaklawn Park, also on March 17.

The pair stepped onto the track when it opened for training at 6 a.m. (CST)

and backtracked from the six-furlong gap to the finish line. Wasting little time

getting down to business, the two Fox Hill Farms females stood for only a few

seconds before they reversed course and galloped around the clubhouse turn, with

five-year-old Havre de Grace to the inside of four-year-old Joyful Victory.

Trainer Larry Jones galloped about 100 yards ahead of the workmates before

the real running started and watched the action from his pony.

After picking up speed into the backstretch, the pair broke off at the

five-eighths pole. Joyful Victory kept pace early through splits of :11 1/5,

:23, :35 and :46 3/5. Into the stretch, however, Havre de Grace effortlessly

pulled ahead and crossed the finish line a neck in front in :58 2/5. The Horse

of the Year worked an eighth of a mile farther into the turn, while Joyful

Victory was officially timed for the five furlongs and galloped out

three-quarters in 1:12 1/5.

"It was good for both horses," Jones said afterward. "It's kind of like

letting Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen go out and play one-on-one; it just

helps them both to get better."

The extra eighth that Havre de Grace worked was by design. Jones wanted to

give her a little more to do coming up on her first race of the year, whereas

Joyful Victory is already quite fit from two races at this meet.

"Havre de Grace is so fooling, when she's really rolling along the riders

think they're not going fast enough," Jones said. "Jen came back and said she

felt like she was just galloping. So we put Joyful Victory out there kind of

like a pace car because we know that Joyful Victory is plenty fast. Havre de

Grace will get a little more aggressive with another horse there. Jen thought

she did the 58 and 2 for the five-eighths easier than she had done the 59 the

week before but it's because the adrenaline's pumping and she's on the bit a

little more."

Jones declared Havre de Grace ready for what will be her first start since a

fourth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic on November 4. Monday marked her

fifth timed work since returning to training in early February.

"With her fitness level, we're there," Jones said. "We're where we want to

be."

Havre de Grace will get one more breeze before the New Orleans Ladies, most

likely next Monday but possibly Sunday depending on the weather forecast.

"We'll have a nice, comfortable, smooth five-eighths work to just stretch her

legs and be ready to go," Jones said.